Clearview Channel Rehabilitation#
Overview#
The Clearview Channel Rehabilitation project between Briarwood Road and Hillcrest Drive began in May 2014. Utilities Stormwater crews rebuilt the channel to repair eroded areas, prevent future erosion, improve maintenance access and enhance channel habitat. They also trimmed and/or removed trees and large shrubs and re-graded the bottom of the channel to allow water to safely pass.
Background#
Clearview Channel looking east
- The Clearview Channel was experiencing severe bank erosion in several locations west of Briarwood Road. The erosion was beginning to affect fences and backyards along the channel.
- The channel collects stormwater from neighborhoods to the west and conveys the flows east to the Avery Park Detention Pond.
- Due to space limitations, the channel overflows during large storm events.
- The City performed engineering analysis to ensure that the surrounding properties would not experience adverse floodplain impacts as a result of the project.
- The channel's 100-year floodplain did not change significantly as a result of this project.
Additional Information on Tree Removal#
Clearview Channel downstream of Briarwood Road
- Trees and large shrubs routinely need to be trimmed and/or removed from the stormwater channel to allow the collection and safe passage of stormwater/flood flows from the surrounding neighborhood.
- The City constructed Clearview Channel following severe flooding in 1997 to prevent future flooding in surrounding neighborhoods.
- The channel was constructed in 1999-2000 to allow for the passage of stormwater flows west to the Avery Park Detention Pond.
- It was constructed within a very narrow stormwater easement — maintenance access is very difficult.
- Several unplanned trees had grown in the channel over the last 14 years, disrupting the safe passage of flood flows. These trees were not part of the original project and were removed to preserve the flow capacity of the channel.
- The bottom of the channel was re-graded using small machinery, allowing flows to pass safely through.
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